1. Field of the Invention
One or more embodiments of the invention are related to the field of containers. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, one or more embodiments of the invention include a cup with an outwardly protruding straw channel and nestable food container and cover that enables simultaneous or intermittent access of the contents of the food container and attached cup without disengagement of the food container from the cup. Embodiments may include a cover that encloses the food container, for example a dome cover that for example snaps closed on an inner portion of the food container. Furthermore, according to one or more embodiments, the cup includes an outer corner portion or ledge configured as a fill line when filling liquids into the cup, to ensure that the insertion of the food container does not result in overflow of liquid from the cup. The outer corner portion or ledge that implements the fill line may also provide support for a portion of the food container. Alternatively, or in combination, the food container and cup may include at least one horizontal step wall, strength rib or other narrowing structure that may also provide support for the food container within the cup.
2. Description of the Related Art
Standard cup lids are simple covers that do not include an integrated food container. Rather, known lids cover the contents of a cup wherein the lid forms a closed container in combination with the cup itself. Known containers that couple with cups include food containers that fit onto the top of yogurt cups for example. These containers typically have to be removed from the yogurt cup and then flipped over and opened before the contents of the container and cup may be accessed. It is generally not possible to access the contents of the cup while also accessing the contents of the container without first disengaging the container from the cup. Additionally, food containers that attach to yogurt cups, for example, in an upside-down position have a limited food-volume capacity. In such cases, as the yogurt example shows, the food-container walls narrow as they proceed upward toward the bottom of the upside down container. Other known devices having a container or shelf combined with a lid have limitations, which makes these devices impractical to use.
One category of devices typically includes a container combined with a cup, but utilizes a straw hole in the middle of the lid. This makes it generally impossible to store relatively circular items, i.e., non-ring or non-annular items having no central hole, in the container, such as hamburgers, cookies or muffins for example. Another category of device typically includes a container combined with a lid, but does not allow for simultaneous access of the contents of the cup and the container, and does not allow for the container to be resealed or a drop-in seated container to be inserted and removed from the food container. Other containers that form portions of the lid have limitations in the amount of storage or shape of the storage area, which limits the quantity or type of food respectively.
Typically, cups include a straw hole located on a top horizontal portion of the cup or a lid/cover of the cup, but generally do not allow for a straw to protrude outwardly from a vertical sidewall of a body or portion of the cup. Furthermore, generally, round cups, such as plastic cups, include a rolled top edge that adds structure and strength to the top portion of a standard drinking cup. However, in such round plastic cups, typically, it is difficult to roll the top edge of a drink cup or container when complex or irregular shapes are formed at the top edge of the cup. Generally, rolled top edge cups or containers limits the use of more complex and unique shapes for an upper body of the cup or container, and limits the use of non-standard shapes for one or more food items in the container.
Thus simultaneous or intermittent access of the contents of known cups and of the contents of an attached container is not practical for at least the reasons listed above. This makes for difficult drinking/eating coffee, soda, snacks, popcorn, etc., in malls, fast food restaurants, theaters, amusement parks, and sports stadiums or in any other venue. In addition, this makes it difficult to eat and drink food in a theater or stadium with one cup-holder per seat, and makes it difficult to simultaneously access solids and liquids using a plurality of containers and container cavities, without disengaging the containers/cavities.
Thick walled, reusable food/drink containers have been developed but utilize a relatively large amount of plastic compared to a thin wall injection molded container. Skillfully engineered, thin film thermoformed or thin wall injection molded disposable containers have not been developed for the fast food and convenience store industries. Thin film thermoforming and thin wall injection molding are typically the two most cost efficient manufacturing methods for producing high volume parts. According to industry standards, thin film or thin wall construction is defined in the approximate range of 0.010 to 0.030.
Typically, thin film thermoforming and thin wall injection molding are specific manufacturing sciences that demand precise engineering and highly accurate tolerances. Strategic strength features or elements that stabilize the structural integrity of the cups and containers, generally, must be incorporated into the construction of thin wall parts. Without strength elements, thin wall parts generally become flimsy and lose their ability to precisely mate with one another. Typically, thin film thermoforming requires drafts on all parts such that the parts may release from their prospective molds. When it comes to thin film or thin wall construction, every detail is important. Without precise engineering, for example, thin wall parts may lack structural integrity and these parts may lose their ability to precisely fit together.
For at least the limitations described above there is a need for a cup with an outwardly protruding straw channel that includes a nestable food container and cover.